


double edged swords

by HeavensGreatestSin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A/B/O dynamic, AU, Alpha!Albus Dumbledore, Alpha!Gellert Grindelwald - Freeform, Alpha!Remus Lupin, Cross Gender Draco Malfoy, Intersex Draco Malfoy, Intersex!Sirius Black, M/M, Omega!Draco Malfoy, Omega!Sirius Black, Shapeshifter!Albus Dumbledore, Shapeshifter!Draco Malfoy, Shapeshifter!Gellert Grindelwald, Shapeshifter!Harry Potter, Shapeshifter!Remus Lupin, Shapeshifter!Sirius Black, TW// child abuse, Werewolf!Draco Malfoy, Werewolf!Harry, Wolves, alpha!Harry, alpha/beta/omega, mentions of mpreg, wolfstar raising Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:40:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27316399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavensGreatestSin/pseuds/HeavensGreatestSin
Summary: Harry didn't have enough time on his hands to figure out what was happening. At 8 years old, he had to search for answers for the cause of his parents deaths, when he had stumbled across a wolf. That brief moment in time changed his life forever.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87





	1. the escapee

**Author's Note:**

> I want to make this clear that for the past two days, I have been inspired by the numerous works that PollyWeasley and Ladderofyears have made. This fic is a combination of all those fics I read I can hopefully recommend to anyone who would like to read them :) I hope this become a proper fic instead of a story prompt. I hope to continue this if this gains enough traction :')

"You pathetic piece of SHIT." She spat. A sharp slap blew across his face. "JUST like your mother. Spineless, pathetic piece of shit." Another blow. "I hope you find what you're looking for, and let it be known for a fact that you are the reason why she died."

Harry's hair fell over his eyes, as his neck craned to the ground. Hot tears fell down his face and felt himself softly shaking.

This had been the second time this week she had reminded him he was the reason his mother died. His aunt was a sharp and cold woman who knew no mercy and only relentless guilt. Everyday she woke up, almost drunk with hatred towards him every time she looked at him- everything she resented about her sister, his mom, in the flesh, daring to exist in her house by no means other than the CPS agency and not her own.

Harry and her got into the spat today, because his cousin Dudley had found a picture of him and his parents all bundled up together, under his mattress while looking for his stash of sweets. He managed to find them in the crevices of the cabinets in the kitchen. Harry had found the picture itself in the attic of their house while he was dusting.

His aunt- Aunt Petunia- seethed at him. She clutched the picture in her balled fists with no regard for it. "You keep this filth out of my home, you understand me?" She threw it back into his face, and stormed out of the hallway.

Harry was 8, but he still wanted to laugh, She had called it a home. As if it weren't everything but.

Harry picked it up, and felt the once smooth photograph, now crumpled into a mess in his hands. He crept into his cupboard under the stairs where he stayed, and shut the door behind him. He sat down on his small mattress he's had since he was a baby, since it was the only mattress that would fit in their, with a slump. The gecko he named George- only because it came by so frequently- crawled up against the corner of his wall. Harry let out a small soft laugh. If it were bed time, George was going the wrong way.

Harry, not bothered with the whereabouts of a lizard, reached up and clicked off his lamp. He waited 13 minutes precisely for Aunt Petunia to turn off the living room lamp. He reached into the small crevice behind his mattress where he kept his book and flashlight hidden with his pillow, and started reading. Edmund had just followed Lucy into the wardrobe and his chest tingled with excitement.

That had to be Harry's biggest vice and virtue. He had incredibly sharpened senses of all kinds. He could hear the shift in his uncle's bed as he sat up to get his house shoes on in the morning. He could smell his cousins breathe from across the dining room into the kitchen right after Harry asked him nicely to stop eating his sweets he found. He could also feel every emotion he ever felt with an incredible intensity and depth. He's always been told he's just sensitive. That's partially why he loved reading so much. He felt every single word written on a page like it had been written on his heart. He obviously didn't know even half of this, though. Putting words to feelings was the biggest challenge of all to Harry, but also his biggest motivation. His vice and virtue. 

The other reason Harry liked reading so much was because he knew what feeling out of place felt like. A world that isn't yours. A place you're not meant to be in. It was the same feeling any other normal person would get when they had just walked in on something, wrong place at the wrong time. That was just Harry. Everything felt wrong.

As his eyelids began to weigh on him, he took the picture of him and his family- the only real family Harry had- and slipped it in the book, closing it firmly so the picture smoothed itself out. Harry pressed it together with the palms of both his hands, for good measure. He then slipped the book into the crevice between his mattress and the wall, and set his glasses on his night stand. Only then did Harry finally lay down, and close his eyes.

-x-

If Harry knew better, he'd know that Dudley just woke up. He could hear the carpet of the upstairs shift around as Dudley crept over to his "play room" where he spent most of his time playing video games. Yes, Dudley was that type of boy, and he has the graphic tees to prove it.

Harry, having no time for whines and complaints, he got up, got his glasses on, and walked over to the kitchen where he started on Dudley's usual: chocolate chip pancakes with bananas and whipped cream. None of this was for him though, he knew that. He didn't eat in front of the Dursley's, not without complaint of existing too much and "for how much we feed you, you should at least be a little more grateful to live under our roof" as if this was living. Surely if he made himself a pancake, the Dursley's would know, so it would be all about eating it in his cupboard at that point.

While Harry was planning the angles of his death, Dudley was planning the angles of others, in his video game. Harry could he a quiet 'die, die, die!' come from the room upstairs. Harry made sure to bring his breakfast on time. Dudley was a stress eater. Well, not really. If what video games were inducing was 'stress', whoever classifies it as that must have a lot going for them. 

Harry opened the door with his back, and said "Dudley, I brought your breakfast."

Dudley proceeded to take the pancake, smothered in syrup, and wipe it across his plate to get more whipped cream. He stuck his sticky hand into his gaping mouth, and didn't even bother with the bananas. 

"Close the door on your way out." Dudley said flatly. "And don't tell mum and dad I'm up."

Harry closed the door behind him, and crept back downstairs where he fixed himself a couple plain pancakes. He liked waffles better, but Harry was hungry from having only sleep for dinner last night. Harry was grateful for anything, he held no preferences that didn't matter.

Once he had quickly, but thickly, swallowed the remaining pancakes, he heard his Uncle Vernon shift out of bed, and stalk down the hallway. He came down the stairs with lazy bumps, and Harry put on the coffee and kettle.

"Mornin', boy," His uncle said flatly. "Coffee starting late? Why?"

Harry didn't reply, only with a small shrug.

His uncle gave out a small scoff, and then flipped open the newspaper on the counter he set down last night. He started to read the latest on the lawn mowing market. 

His aunt crept down the stairs, to which Harry barely heard. She had very light foot steps and could snap like a tooth pick from his uncle Vernon's jar he kept on the bottom shelf. She still had her nightie on, and hair roller's still in place. She wasn't a real sleeping beauty like Harry. Harry had lowered his head in the kitchen, obviously avoiding his aunt from the fight they got into last night. All he did was set a tea cup and saucer out, to which he poured the now scalding water onto the tea packet already in there.

His aunt's face contorted in disgust when she look at him. The second Harry was done pouring the water in, she took it by the handle, and splashed it in his face.

Harry's hands instantly flew to his shirt and pressed it against his skin. He let out a low whimper. His neck craned to the ground as he took deep breaths. His glasses were steamy and Harry let out a choked sob.

"That's for last night." His aunt retorted to him. "Don't think I forgot about it. I already told you, one of these days I'm going to set you straight and you won't like it."

Harry took his shirt away from his face, and fanned it with his nimble hands. He walked towards the bathroom, hopefully to run it under cool water. So there he stood, hunched over the bathroom sink, with his glasses and letting it run over his face down his neck.

Harry also stood there, angry.

He could hear her muttering quietly to his uncle about 'disciplinary action', and how 'someone had to knock him down a peg', and how it had to be her.

It also had to be her he was sent to live with. It was also her who resented him for the victimless crime of existing. It was also her who couldn't muster even a little regard for his being. It was also her who sent him scurrying to his cupboard to eat every night of his life since after he didn't need to be spoon fed anymore. It was also her who made him flinch at high-fives at school. It was also her who treated him like a joke when she was in a good mood and couldn't be bothered by him.

It was all her.

Harry ran to his cupboard, gathered some clothes to put on, hurried back to the bathroom to throw them on, and stormed back to his cupboard. Shutting the door, he gathered all his clothes that fit in the corner of the room, and shoved them into his backpack that had all sorts of loose paper crumpled at the bottom. He then reached into the crevice of his bed, and stacked the book and flashlight on top of his clothes.

Harry didn't know where he would go. He didn't know how, either. He knew, though, that he needed to find the place he has been longing for. He needed to find it, and fast so his aunt and uncle couldn't follow him. 'You're only missing after 24 hours', he kept repeating to himself in his head. 'You're only missing after 24 hours. You're only missing after 24 hours. You're only missing after 24 hours. 24 hours to find somewhere to hide so the police won't find you. 24 hours. 24 hours. 24 hours. 24 hours to find it.'

Of course, Harry didn't have any money, so he was have to steal the loose change and crumpled bills from his aunt's purse by the door, since his uncle kept his wallet either on him or in his night stand, and Harry was way too small, way too breakable to do that.

Harry wrote a note from his notebook.

'I know you hate me. I know I am everything that you hated about my mum. I know, because you told me. You. Told. Me. This is because of you.

Harry'

Harry strapped his backpack on, and finally said "Alright! I'm going to school now! I'll meet Dudley at the pick up line at 3!" 

Harry left, and shut the door behind him. He started on his way to school, where the one good thing, or person, in his life was.

Harry trotted down the sidewalks, rounded street corners in their neighborhood, down the hill to their school that wasn't even 10 minutes away from his house. He crossed through the football field where other kids were, having a match. 

When he got up to the steps of the school, he wandered the hallways past all his classmates who knew they were better than him. Showing up to school in the same three outfits for almost an entire year gave you that. Besides that, he spent most of his time in the library. As much as he liked to read, he was rather selective too. Half of his time there, he was looking through the books to see which ones were cool and which ones were boring.

Harry passed by the display glass, a clear glass book case that showed new arrivals, and saw that the burn on his face was quickly scarring. Harry never had injuries of any kind for too long. He always wondered that. Blows faded to numbness quick. Cuts healed into scabs in not even five minutes. He took a brave look at himself in the reflection of the glass, and he saw that his burn had healed over his forehead, into a lighting bolt shaped scar. Jagged lines fell over his face a little past his eyes into deep white lines. How peculiar. If it wasn't from Aunt Petunia, he would feel almost proud of himself. He thought it would've been rather cool.

Harry sat in the library reading rug on a bean bag, reading the rest of the fight between Edmund and Peter. Harry didn't have siblings, not that he would consider Dudley a brother, a cousin, or even family for that matter, but if he did, he would protect them with his life. He knew he would. Harry would go to the depth of Narnia and back, just so he could have a little brother or sister like Lucy or Peter.

The bell blared though the library quietly, and Harry gathered up his things. He only read two pages, but he was fine with that. He had time at recess too.

Harry pushed past everyone, and made his way down to his class. 

Mr. Remus Lupin stood by his desk, and organized the papers he had set out for the day. He pinched stacks together, set them aside in row, and kept them out of the way of his computer and projector. He was a simple man who always showed up to school in slacks, sweater vests, and white sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He told his young students he didn't mind if they stared at the scars littering his own body, but told them to mind themselves around others who might have a similar body as he does.

"Once you find your seats, everyone," He called out to them smoothly, "Please open your folders to the work we left off on yesterday. We will be starting on our synonyms and antonyms for class today, until 11 o'clock. I will go over them with you, and then I will be collecting these in an hour."

Harry set his backpack down and got out his folder and paper.

Harry was never the best at homework but did like classwork. He was weird like that. His brain wouldn't allow him to work outside of school hours. Mr. Lupin didn't mind though, he learned quickly to only grade him by his classwork and not his homework. Mr. Lupin was kind like that.

Harry, however, was distracted for today, Mr. Lupin noticed. He hadn't smiled at him when he came in. He dully noted that he hadn't even looked up once since everyone started coming in through the doorway.

It wasn't until Harry raised his hand that Mr. Lupin figured out why. Jagged lines crossed over his face, and Mr. Lupin almost jumped from his chair. He crossed the room over to Harry, and lowly whispered to him to follow him outside with the best calm smile he could give.

Mr. Lupin shut the door behind them both, and crouched to the ground to Harry's height.

"Good morning Harry," He smiled at him.

"Good morning Mr. Lupin." Harry beamed back at him.

"Say," Mr. Lupin started off, "I couldn't help but notice that you came into class today with this scar over your face." He finger delicately pushed his bushy hair out of the way to look at the scar clearly. He said this next part slowly, "Did something happen, last night, Harry?"

Harry shifted on his feet, and tears start to pool his eyes and burn his throat. "Not last night, Mr. Lupin, this morning."

"Ah," Mr. Lupin said quietly, with a smile. "Well it's rather nice, Harry. I'd say we're matching, now." He looked down at his arms and back up to Harry face with a smile, hoping his fear wasn't making the boy more upset than he was right now.

Harry gave a small laugh. "Yeah, we match." He wiped his tears on his sleeve, and looked back at Mr. Lupin with a smile.

The teacher looked at him with a bleak smile. "Well, Harry, I'm afraid that something bad has happened to you. Are you okay, when you go home?" He asked quietly. "I mean, are you okay to be there?"

Harry's eyes darted around. He couldn't really say. He gave a mumbled 'I dunno', and finally, his neck craned to the ground.

Mr. Lupin, in his few but still measured years of working with children, knew what that meant.

"Harry," He pulled his slack up a bit and stared back up a bit. "I need to make sure everything going on at home is okay. If not, I'm going to have to have to tell the school about this so we can make sure you're safe." He gave Harry a smile he knew the 8 year old didn't see. "Harry, is it okay with you if I ask you, one more time, if you're alright at home?"

The events of last night and this morning crashed on him all at once. He didn't feel like doing anything but cry into his teachers scratchy shoulder. His choked sobs raked through him, and his feelings were bigger than him now. He never knew what to do when his feelings were bigger than him.

Mr. Lupin knew that too. No child knew what to do when their feeling were bigger than them. He kept his brave face on and hugged the smaller boy back. He, himself, felt like crying too, but knew the boys caring heart was going to start crying over that too, and then he'd really have a problem. He needed to get the boy to talk to him in one piece.

"Hey, Harry," The teacher started again, letting him go to look at him, "I'm gonna head down to Mr. Tolson's office, you know him? He's the principal of the school. He's gonna help you, alright?" He looked at the small, shaking child in his hands. "He's gonna make sure you won't ever have to feel like that ever again."

"I was going to run away." Harry admitted through a shaky breath.

Mr. Lupin furrowed his eyebrows. "Run away? Really?"

"Yeah," Harry wiped his snotty tears on his sleeve, "I was gonna run away today, and never come back." He gave a small hiccup.

The teacher, suddenly very thankful for catching him in time before he got himself trafficked or killed, gave him a quick, bleak smile. "Harry, dear," He said slowly, "you can't... you can't just run away, alright? You can't. There are very bad people out there that will hurt you and kill you and... and you can't Harry. I don't know what I would do with myself if something bad like that were to ever happen to you." He found himself wiping his own tears away. "When something bad like this happens, you need to find someone and tell them what going on, alright? Mr. Tolson, myself, do you have any other family you know that you can live with?"

Harry shook his head. He didn't like his other aunt, his uncle's sister, or grandma or grandpa. He only met them once and he was a baby. They never talked to him over the phone when Dudley got birthday or Christmas presents. Mostly because he never got any.

"Well, Harry." Remus said finally. "I'm going to get class started, and then you and I are going to walk down to Mr. Tolson's office, alright? We're gonna get this all sorted out."

Harry nodded his head, and they both went inside.

"Alright class!" Remus said loud and clear. The hum of children talking and laughing came to an abrupt stop. "Something new came up, so we're going to go through the rest of the worksheet, and then I will be calling for a sub for the rest of the day, alright?"

There was a murmur of agreement, and Harry sat in the desk that was right next to Remus' desk. 

Class went on for 10 minutes as usual, with Remus at the front of the room with the projector, going through a worksheet the class was doing before. Harry thought he should do it, but he couldn't because he cried so much he couldn't focus anymore about it. Mr. Lupin would give him smile's sometimes, and Harry would feel better, and smile back.

Harry didn't know it, but all Remus ever thought about for the past 8 years Harry's been alive, 2 years since he's been in school, was protecting him. That's all he ever did. 

Harry, like Remus, was a wolf. Not a werewolf that transformed during full moons, but one that can transform at will. Harry didn't know it yet, and if he did he didn't tell Remus, but his mother and father were in Remus' pack. They were his best friends. They died protecting their pack from a rivaling pack across the mountains. Harry didn't know he was a wolf, and it was Remus' job to protect him from the dangers of their world. He would hope he would be the one who guided Harry gently into it all, but if Harry needed to be moved from his house the Council had ordered him to stay in, his start might be more abrupt than the teacher had planned.

Well, not all of that was true. The protection part, really. It was not only Remus' job, but his friend Sirius' job as well. Sirius and him go way back to when they all, Harry's dad James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter, more on him later though, all played together in their high school year. It wasn't really a high school, it was more like a school that all the packs in Britain sent their offspring for studies. Sirius was practically James brother. They were as thick as thieves. It nearly broke Sirius when the rival pack came and tried to claim their territory, threatening either James and Lily's lives, Harry's mum, or Harry's life, given he was the new youngest in the entire pack. After that night, they swore to never go anywhere near the pack. It was a blood trade.

Sirius was engulfed in rage. He almost about the murder the leader, Tom Riddle, for murdering his brother, his best friends, the mother and father of Harry Potter. However, the Councils final decision remained. For Harry's protection, he must stay in the Mortal world, Muggle's as they were called sometimes, until he is ready. The Head of Council, Albus Dumbledore, couldn't have picked a worse residence though. After his decision, Sirius and Remus left the pack, started their lives anew, this time, watching over Harry. Sleeping outside their doorstep at night as their wolf selves and leaving in the morning, to make sure no one came and attacked the boy. He highly doubted Harry knew his teacher was a wolf, much less he was a wolf himself.

It didn't matter though, because as of today, right after he got through the work sheet, it was all about to change.


	2. the forest of dean

Remus didn't trust them as far as he could throw them. And trust, he wanted to throw them.

The teacher was sitting in the waiting room, anxiously imagining his small Harry in a cold and empty room, sitting at a plastic table telling a bunch of strange adults he's never seen before about his experiences at home. Remus prayed that he wasn't telling them about his enhanced senses. Remus didn't know if Harry knew how to shift yet, or if he's never even tried. He was already risking exposure by bring him here, he didn't want to go back to the Council and tell them they had to clean up another mess. 

Walking in, was a man with ripped jeans, and sunglasses propped up against his face from the evening sun outside. He was sporting a black leather jacket and band t-shirt, and rings on each finger. His slick black hair ran to his shoulders, and a keychain hung out of his pocket. 

"This should've happened a long time ago Remus and you know it." Sirius seethed.

"I underst-"

"Do you, Moony?" He shot back at him and seethed. "Take a look around you and see where you are, and look back at me and tell me you understand. Because maybe by chance you understand now, but you haven't understood for the past 8 years. So you tell me, Remus-"

"That's enough, Sirius." Remus glowered up at him, cutting him off.

Sirius did nothing but glare, and knew that he wasn't winning this one, yet again, with his best friend. He sat down in the chair next to him, and stared at his shoes.

Sirius Black was the first Omega in his long line of Alpha males. He was destined for failure in his pack, knowing there was nothing he could do. He couldn't hunt with the others or be a leader, he really had no room in his world. He sought refuge from it all with his friends he made in boarding school, James, Remus, and Peter. Lily counted as well, but she wasn't his sister the same way James was his brother, but she was still loved by many.

When James died, a part of Sirius died with him. Especially when the pack relocated territories, and his so-called best friend Peter sold them out to the rivalling pack that was after them in the first place, and told them where they were. Remus and Sirius made a deal with the Council that they would watch over small Harry in the Mortal world, and never turn their backs on each other. 

They have, however, never saw eye to eye on everything. For instance, how they couldn't just snatch Harry up in their arms and run away with him to the far corners of Ireland, or something. However, Grindelwald, their pack leaders husband, strictly forbad it. 'There isn't a square inch of Britain that Voldemort isn't looking at right now for Harry. He needs to live in the most populated and domestic lifestyle no werewolf could ever think of.' 

Sirius of course protested that they could easily give everything up in their pack, and Harry could live in their house, but Dumbledore, their pack leader, reminded him that a werewolf's scent doesn't develop until they present, be it Alpha, Beta, or Omega. Voldemort cant follow Harry's scent, but he can follow Sirius or Remus' scent.

So the Alpha and Omega sat in the waiting room of a police station, in silence, too afraid to say anything.

"I know we should've taken him anyway, and protected him with our lives." Remus said finally into his fists that sat balled against his chin. "That seemed like the safest option, compared to this," he gestured to the room, "but we couldn't. Every law of Nature says that. If I can turn back time and do it all over again, I would've done that. I would've saved James and Lily, kicked Pete's ass, and we all could've lived happily ever after. But we couldn't, and we can't, because he's still out there."

Sirius sat and thought on those words, before speaking. "Sometimes it just feel like we left the door open for him to get hurt by the Dursley's, Moony. It feels like with every night we sat outside their door and heard his soft cries through the walls, we kept letting it happen over, and over, and over..."

Remus nodded. "We didn't know he was being beaten."

"We knew they didn't love him."

"Yeah. We did, didn't we?"

They sat in silence, guilt washing over them. No one deserved what happened to Harry.

Remus was an Alpha who, by all accounts, should've been an Omega. He was quiet and hated anything intense, he took the right roads instead of the easy ones. Being and Omega in the werewolf world meant more than physical embodiment, but also emotional embodiment as well. Over the years, he became intense, and tall beyond belief, and his shoulders widened up. His muscles grew as much as he allowed them too, but in comparison to his height, he was still a stick with a minor beer belly. Remus was the most Omega- Alpha ever, in his belief.

Neither of the men were discouraged by the idea that Harry could be an Omega. They just wanted him safe, and alive. Sirius was as tough as nails, and he was an Omega. It was very much possible for an Omega to be powerful and strong. Sirius proved that. He would bite off anyone's head that would say otherwise. He had the drunken bar fight memories to prove it. Well, sort of.

Just so long as they had him, they were happy. It was hard for 8 years, not knowing what was happening. They tried distracting themselves with Sirius opening up a concert venue for rent, and Remus going to university for teaching, but the Harry-sized void never really did fill.

"Alright," a woman with brown hair and stark gray eyes walked out of the questioning room with Harry down the hall. He walked out politely, with a small smile on his face, to Remus' confusion. The pair walked over to Remus and Sirius, and the woman looked to Remus and said, "we're going to conduct an investigation and we'll be in touch. Have you already be questioned, as a witness?"

"Yes," Remus said, remembering the empty room he was put in. 

"Okay, good." She gave a bleak smile.

"Hey, mate, how was it? Were you scared?" Remus crouched to the ground and looked at Harry.

"Great! I played with the cars on the rug and some of the stuffed animals from the bin and we talked about it." He pointed to his new scar.

Remus stared surprised at him, initially fearing the worst. "Right, of course." He gave a brave smile. "Hey, we're gonna go back to my house, and we're gonna get some lunch, alright? This is my mate Sirius, he's not so scary when you get to know him." He pointed up at Sirius, knowing he was restraining himself from tackling Harry with a hug.

"Hi, Harry." Sirius crouched down, Keychain lightly hitting the floor. "My name's Sirius."

Harry looked at him, and smiled. "Hello." He managed quietly.

"Alright, we'll be in touch." The woman said before walking off back into the hallway.

"Where's your house?" Harry looked up to ask the now standing pair of men.

"Well," Sirius slipped his hands in his pockets, "we have a flat right outside of Little Whinging, however, that isn't really our house."

"Sirius..." Remus warned.

"We have a big house right up in the Forest of Dean, the forest goes on forever. You'd love it. Lots of trails to run down, lots of trees to get lost in." Sirius looked up at Remus, hoping he'd get his hint.

Remus didn't know if Harry has ever shifted before, and was afraid something might go wrong. Usually, pups would be born as their wolf forms, and they would spend their toddler and adolescent lives balancing between human and wolf forms. Many werewolves in their pack, and packs all over, had fond memories of these instances. However, Harry was never given that. He didn't know if he would shift and would feel pain beyond belief. That was known to happen for werewolves who wouldn't shift for long periods of time. 

Sirius, however, looked as though he was more than willing to find out.

"You have a house in the woods?" Harry looked to Remus.

"Yeah, well, "Remus brought his hand to his neck, "we don't go there often. It's probably all dirty and gross and dark and empty and cold-"

"And there are so many books!" Sirius said, trying to reign in Harry's interest.

"-and spiders and cobwebs and it's probably haunted now that I think about it."

"It has ghosts?" Harry said finally.

Remus looked down at him. "Um, well, yeah, probably. Not a pleasant place for small children such as yourself."

"I like ghosts." Harry said, holding Remus' hand and leaning his head onto his arm. "When I was in kindergarten, I would read to mum and dad's ghosts. I would sound out the words, and read like they were wanting to hear the end of the story like how I did."

Remus thought he'd just about cried then. Sirius gave another brave smile to him so Remus can turn his head up to the ceiling. "They sound like wonderful listeners then, Harry. If you'd like, when we get to the house in the woods, you can read to Remus and I. We have loads of books like Narnia and and the sorts. I'm sure we can find you something you'd like then, yeah pup?"

Harry looked at him with wide eyes, then smiled and nodded his head. Sirius then smiled back at him, and extended his hand for him to take, letting go of Remus'.

-x-

The car ride is the Forest of Dean was long, but filled with Harry chirping on to his new-found reading buddy about what was happening in his book, and how when he was playing on the rug with the 'police lady' as he put it, he reenacted a scene from it. Sirius went on about how he liked reading mystery books that probably would've scared him, and how fantasy books were much cooler.

Remus, noticing from the drivers seat, that Sirius never opening talked about his love of reading, not to anyone besides him, James, and Peter of course. He never liked school, or reading books, or anything that didn't pique his interests. Sirius only read crime thrillers and horror stories if he ever read. Most of the books in the Dean house was filled with his parents old books about ancient magic and myths. His side of the library was just a few shelves full of book Sirius has read or was going to read.

After a long time on back roads, they finally got to a hill side where a massive forest stood proudly. Harry didn't recall the proper way to Gloucestershire, only it was almost 2 hours away where he lived. He didn't know the roads like how adults did, but if they did, Mr. Lupin must have taken roads he's never seen on maps before. Not on the maps in Uncle Vernon's car anyway.

Out of nowhere, Remus turned off on the road, and started driving through the field of grass towards the forest.

"Should've given a heads up," Sirius looked back to Harry, "our house is off the road. It's a little bumpy from here."

"It's okay Sirius." Harry said quietly.

Sirius smiled, enamored with his innocence. "Call me Padfoot, pup."

Harry smiled, and almost let out a laugh at the silly nickname. He wanted one too.

When they reached the forest, and Harry was at lost for words for the different shades of leaves that casted brilliant shadows over the car. Remus looked through the rear view mirror, and smiled to himself from the look on Harry's face. 

He has driven this way before, all his life in fact. Their was no official way to this forest. You can cross any road you liked, if you knew where you were going, the roads would take you here. There were some roads that no Muggle has ever seen before, some not even written down. They were created as the roads ran on.

When they finally got to the check point that Remus knew all too well, he stopped the car, and turned the engine off. He looked to Harry's curious face in the back seat. "We walk from here, Harry."

"Does 'pup' get t be my nickname now?" He asked excited. "Like how Sirius is called Padfoot? Do you have a nickname, Mr. Lupin?"

Remus couldn't wait to tell them they were his uncles. "Moony."

"Wow!" He sighed dreamily, "I love it. It's like the moon."

Remus let out a laugh. "Yes, like the moon."

Sirius unbuckled, and said "We'll find you a nickname, pup. Something with more flare!"

Harry's eye's sparkled through his glasses, and unbuckled himself.

As they began to trek through the trees and forestry, Harry noticed they couldn't see their car anymore. "Where's the car?"

"Still there." Remus assured. "We're getting to the house now."

Harry realized he couldn't look back and see any of the trees the passed by when they drove there. Fear slowly began bubbling inside his stomach. Mr. Lupin- Moony, and Padfoot wouldn't kill him, would they?

"It's little ways from the road," Sirius said, like reading his mind, "but there is something you should know about this house-"

"Sirius can we talk for a second?" Remus stopped suddenly and looked firmly at Sirius. 

Sirius looked back at him impatiently.

Remus didn't lower his gaze. "Harry, you can walk ahead, we'll join you in only a second."

Harry looked confused and scared, but once he saw that Sirius accepted defeat with a smile to Harry, he picked up his pace and decided to focus on the trees.

Remus stalked up to Sirius as they walked a little slower together. "He got splashed with scalding water in the face this morning and had to spend the evening in a police station. Are you looking to traumatize him more?"

"Remus he probably already knows-"

"And maybe he does. Maybe he doesn't. We need to take things slow with him. Approach the subject carefully. Too much in one day for a child like him could scare him away from us. I mean, look at him! He's figured out that the forest is charmed, and he's scared we're gonna kill him or something!"

"Remus." Sirius stopped dead on the path, and looked at him carefully, before speaking. "We've been over this. We were going to introduce him normally, and make nothing of it. Look," he swept a hand through his hair, and stuck his arm out, "he reads books, right? That's a good sign! A little bit of magic and shifting and sorts isn't gonna hurt him! We aren't scaring him away from us!"

Up ahead, Harry looked back at the two adult arguing in harsh whispers. He felt like he did something wrong and hasn't figured it out yet. The sound of the leaves brushing against the wind sounded like music to his ears. The dirt smelled fresh as it was a little muddy, the birds chirping off in the neighboring trees, Harry wasn't sure he wanted to leave.

The forest did look familiar though. Harry has always dreamed of a forest just like this one, where he could sit under a tree and read to his mum. He dreamed of wolves running through them, wind running through his face, barking and biting and wrestling with other wolf friends, and an endless sea of trees waiting to be explored. He didn't understand why he kept dreaming of wolves though, he didn't want to. He keeps waking up with dog hair all around him, and his pillow always smelled gross. 

"Sirius," Remus said, "I was going to explain when we got home. Sit him down in the reading chair in the library. Explain to him gently our little world. Introduce him back to Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Maybe to the rest of the pack. All that though would take place tomorrow, but what I'm saying Sirius is-"

"I THINK I FOUND THE HOUSE MR. LUPIN!!" Harry yelled from up a hill some long ways ahead. "IS IT BLACK AND RUN DOWN AND EVERYTHING?!"

Remus smiled fondly at the child on the hill. "Yes, Harry! It is! If you wanna go inside without us that'll do!" He looked back at Sirius. "Better catch up."

Sirius looked at him with a glint in his eye. "Race you."

"Absolutely not-"

Before Remus knew it, the Omega was racing up the hill, leaving the Alpha in the dust. Remus could only watch. 

Sirius and Harry, side by side, raced down the hill to a small clearing where a tall house with rickety old wood that kept it in place stood, almost as high as the trees, and as big at the clearing. It was odd-looking, but Harry couldn't wait to see the library. He wondered if it had shelves with ladders.

They got up to the broken down porch that had holes and claw marks in the floor, Harry forced any scary thought from his mind, clinging to Sirius' side, and the Omega brought out the keys from his keychain. Sirius couldn't have silver, but the metal chain worked just as fine.

The door swung open, and Harry was greeted with a foyer that was much more cleaner and spacious than the outside. It was huge, and had a single staircase wrapping around the right side of the room. The tile floors were pitch black and reflected the bright small chandelier that hung neatly on the ceiling. The walls were painted a cool dark green, and with pictures of some rather old people looking sternly at the camera, as if their looks were trying to kill. Of course, there was other photos of other people, some rugged and dirty, some neat and polished. There were young children, and old grandparents; families, and married couples. Not everyone looked related; Harry wondered how many relatives Mr. Lupin and Sirius had.

"These people," as if Sirius could read Harry's again, "are all friends of Remus and I's families. All of us don't know each other by blood, rather by proximity. We've all known each other for decades and years, some for centuries." Sirius stared up at the picture frames hung up on the walls.

Harry looked at the picture frames, eyes wide and mouth agape, and back at Sirius. "How big is this forest, Padfoot?"

Sirius busted out a laugh, and put his hand in Harry's messy black hair. "Too big, my old friend. I can show you more of the forest tomorrow, if you'd like. Just you and me." He raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"Sirius," Remus stood at the door. The pair looked back at him, not hearing him come in.

"Remus, how long are we going to keep this up." Sirius looked at him with impatience written all over his face.

Harry looked between the two men and smelled tension. They weren't fighting, but they were still angry. Harry grew more afraid of why they brought him here.

Remus lowered his gaze first, and looked back at Harry with the bright smile he usually gave him when Harry would walk into the classroom in the morning. "Harry, why don't we go and find the library, yeah? We can show you the house and everything while we do."

Harry decided to go for it. He looked up at down at Remus and Sirius, and asked "Can you guys read my mind?"

Both the men busted out laughing this time, and they both felt like children again.

"Cause you guys always..."

"We don't read minds, Harry!" Remus said, hands on his knees.

"Then why do you guys always say how I'm feeling?" Harry asked trying to smile, trying to laugh with them.

"Harry, pup," Sirius said, returning his hand back into his hair, "lets go find the library and we'll talk about everything on the way."

"Talk about what? What's everything?"

"Well you must have questions! Right?" Sirius chided.

Harry nodded slowly, feeling like he wasn't sure if he should be standing so close to Sirius right now. He only then remembered the claw marks on the porch. He didn't want to believe the bright and shiny Mr. Lupin who he loved so much could ever hurt him, or Sirius, his new friend...

Remus looked up, still smelling fear. "Harry..." Remus started walking towards him, when Harry took a step back, eyes wide with fear and confusion. Remus furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"You're not gonna hurt me, are you?" Harry said slowly. "Cause we're in the woods, and the marks on the floor, and you guys can read my mind, and-"

"Harry we can't read your mind," Remus said, suddenly heart broken that he couldn't catch the seriousness from Harry's voice when he asked the question before. He walked up to him closer and knelt in front of him, taking his hands into his own. "We just see what you're thinking written all over your face. He aren't going to hurt you, Harry."

Harry looked at him and searched his eyes for any detection of lying. "Alright..."

Remus and Sirius were both very different people brought together by very similar circumstances, but either one of them could testify for the fact that they would rather die than lay a single hand on Harry. Sirius knew, from his years of abuse, that Harry getting adjusted to his new life with them wasn't going to be a cake walk. A part of Sirius' mind remembered how when he met James, he did that same thing too, search someone's eyes. Waiting for the moment to pass before you can react so nothing came out of nowhere.

"Alright then," Remus said softly, standing up slowly. He stretched out his hand so Harry can take it, and sighed of relief when he did.

The three of them started down to the living room where a slightly torn up rug laid in the center of it with the fire place going. The couches were a dark shade of gray and had small in-tables beside them. The big chair stood off to the side, daring anyone unworthy to sit in it. Everything in the house looked old and ancient, yet very tidy and tasteful. Harry just liked how clean it was. He wasn't sure if he had to when he was coming here.

The kitchen was off to the left, open and wide. It had a French build to it, with the stove vent come down on top of it, and windows on the ceiling opening everything up. The island in the middle of it all was the size of Harry's room back at the Dursley's. It had drawers and cabinets and a smooth black granite to it. The table off to the side was grand and all the chairs were pushed into it.

One thing that Harry noticed was that the house on the inside did not match the outside. It barely looked lived in at all. Like someone left it abandoned. It was almost sad if it weren't so scary. Everything was either black, gray, or green. The red fire almost felt out of place. 

Harry looked down the hall ways that were placed in the middle of the entry to the living room and kitchen, and the foyer. Two halls facing each other, going left and right. Harry assumed they went off to different rooms or parts of the house, like the library. It was weird thinking the house had many rooms, for how much nobody lived here.

"The house isn't that scary once you grow into all the ominous shades of black, grey, green..." Sirius playfully groaned. Harry let out a laugh.

"The library is just down this hall," Remus said, pointing to the hall that went past the kitchen, off to somewhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! This chapter is a filler for the NEXT chapter, which is when the story unfolds and picks up the pace. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone in my comments on my last chapter for all of your kind words of encouragement :'} I know and am sorry I didn't respond to them all, although i know I should have, but this semester hit me hard, and I was balancing a depressive episode that felt like it last for forever. You all truly kept me going.
> 
> I promise for more consistent updates!


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